Video: Sharpening more effectively

Here, I want to share with you a really simple tip that will help you get even more out of using your noise reduction in your sharpening controls. Well, the first thing that we need to do before we do anything is we need to get into 100%. Let's do so by way of a shortcut, press Command+Option+0 on a Mac, Ctrl+Alt+0 on Windows. Next, let's navigate to the Detail panel by way of a shortcut as well. This one is Command+Option+3 on a Mac, Ctrl+Alt+3 on Windows, or of course, we can simply click on the tab here, or to zoom into 100%, we can also just double-click on the Zoom tool. All right.

In Photoshop CS5 for Photographers: Camera Raw 6, Chris Orwig provides in-depth training on Camera Raw 6, the CS5 component that enables photographers to open and manipulate images in non-destructive and now even more efficient ways. This course covers the benefits of the raw processing, which makes it possible to more precisely control an image's appearance—exposure, shadow and highlight detail, color balance, sharpness, and more—including new workflow procedures and technical concepts and issues. Learn the entire Camera Raw workflow, from opening and resizing, toning and cropping, to sharpening and saving. Exercise files are included with the course.

Sharpening more effectively

Here, I want to share with you a really simple tip that will help you get evenmore out of using your noise reduction in your sharpening controls.Well, the first thing that we need to do before we do anything is we need to get into 100%.Let's do so by way of a shortcut, press Command+Option+0 on a Mac, Ctrl+Alt+0 on Windows.Next, let's navigate to the Detail panel by way of a shortcut as well.This one is Command+Option+3 on a Mac, Ctrl+Alt+3 on Windows, or of course, wecan simply click on the tab here, or to zoom into 100%, we can also justdouble-click on the Zoom tool. All right.

Well, here we can see as we zoom in on this photograph that there's a lot ofnoise in the background, and that this image is going to need a little bit of work.So, let's say we go ahead, and we've reduced some of the luminance noise here,and we maintain some details by bringing that Detail slider up there, niceamount of contrast, a little bit of color noise reduction.Now our noise reduction is set, yet we need to sharpen the image as well,because if we press the P key, here we can see our before, and then our after.The image is a little bit soft.Let me zoom in even further, so you can really see this. Here we have our beforeand then now our after.

You can zoom in and out on your photos by pressing Command on a Mac, Ctrl onWindows, and than Plus or Minus.I'll go ahead and zoom out by pressing Command+Minus or Ctrl+Minus.Well, now that we've seen that the image is indeed a little bit soft, how canwe sharpen this file?Well, what you can do is you can actually hold down the Option key on a Mac, Altkey on Windows, and then click and drag the various Sharpening sliders, andyou'll get a different perspective of what's happening.Well, if we hold down Option or Alt and click and drag Amount, here we see agrayscale version of the image.

As I drag this to the right, this really helps us identify what's happening whenwe sharpen the image.Now let's exaggerate the sharpening for a moment, so we'll leave this reallyhigh here, and then make our way to Radius.Now, if we do the same thing, hold down Option or Alt, and then click anddrag Radius, what we're going to see is that the sharpening is going toextend out from those edges.Now they're almost glowing.If we want to tighten this up, so the radius is really close to the edges,we can have a really small or low amount with regards to our radius.Okay, well, how then does detail work?Well, we already know a little bit about this.

If we hold down Option or Alt and click and drag, here we're going to see allthe little teeny details are now sharp, and then if we drag to the left, thoselittle details aren't sharp.Okay, but what about masking?Well, you may remember that what I said about masking is that as you increasethis, it focuses in on the edges more and more, and if you've worked with Photoshopbefore, you know that a mask in Photoshop is either in black or in white.Black conceals and white reveals.We'll hold down Option or Alt, and then click and drag this slider, and hereyou can see that what's happening is it's going to limit the sharpening to a particular area.

As I click and drag this up, black is concealing the sharpening effect from the sky.Now, that's really helpful, because we typically don't want to sharpen skies.Skies are one of the most problematic areas in digital photography, just becauseof the color variation, the gradation.So therefore, we don't want to exaggerate that.For that matter, soft skies or soft clouds typically look best.So in this case, I'm now limiting the sharpening just to the areas where it's white.Now, if there's an area where it's gray, like on some portions of themotorcycle, then it's going to be a little bit less sharpening amount in those areas.

So again, we have this really nice mask, which is limiting the sharpeningto particular areas.Now, my sharpening amount is way over- exaggerated, but by increasing my maskingamount, it's now limiting that sharpening just to the cyclist here, and it's not that bad.Well, of course, we need to bring our Amount back down, but this just kind ofillustrates really the power of this last slider.It's incredibly strong! All right.I'll go ahead and bring my Amount down a touch, and then my Detail,I'm also going to bring down as well.

I don't want to go too far with that one.Now, let's press the P key.When we do so, we can see the before and then now the after, really adding a lotof snap back to that cyclist there.Now, if ever we've gone too far or if we feel like our radius is too high,well, we can lower that of course, and we can lower our amount until we findjust the right sweet spot, just the right mixture or combination of thesedifferent controls.I think right here it looks incredibly good!Why I can say that is because I'm really looking at my edges, I don't want any glowing edges.

I want to have nice detail across the image.I want to have the sky nice and smooth in the background.So, in this case, I might even go ahead and just lower a little bit of thatdetail there, in this case, to bring just a little bit more noise reduction in the background.A lot of times, you'll bounce back and forth between these controls.I'll bring up my Luminance Noise Reduction a touch more there.Okay, I think that looks good.Let's press the P key. Here we have it before, and then now after.I'll zoom in a touch further, so you can see that.Here we have our before, and then after, really natural-looking sharpening,great noise reduction, and along the way, we learned a valuable tip about usingthe Option key while clicking and dragging these sliders.

Now, the last thing that I have to point out here is that sometimes we may workon our noise reduction or sharpening, not at 100% or higher.So, let's say that we decide to zoom out.I'll go ahead and click on the Minus icon to zoom out, or I'll hold down Optionor Alt while I have the Zoom tool selected.Then I'll click to zoom out as well.Now, as I do this, you can see here I'm at 50% zoom rate.Well, let's say that here I decide I want to apply some sharpening.So, hold down Option or Alt, then I click and drag my Detail slider.

Well, at this juncture, I can't really see these details very well.The further that I zoom out from this, and the further that I try to evaluatethe details, it really becomes quite irrelevant.Now, on the other side of the equation, sometimes what happens is we reallyget into our images.Let's say we zoom way into our files, and we keep clicking and clicking andclicking, and we're here at 300%.Then we try to dial in the right detail amount.Well, it's near impossible.It's as if we're looking at our images under a magnifying glass.

So, one of the things that you're going to have to do is try to find the sweet spot.Now sometimes, that's 100%, but sometimes with higher megapixel cameras, 100%is even too much.So again, you're going to have to do a little bit of a give-and-take, zooming inand out right around 100.Typically, what I do is I look at the image at 50%, at 100%, at 150%, and Igo back and forth between the zoom rates, just to take a look at how thedetail looks at those different rates, and I also think about the finalintent of the photograph, because what we're doing here is input sharpeningand noise reduction.

And I need to think about, okay, how am I going to print this image, where is itgoing to be displayed, what type of paper will it be printed on, what type ofmagazine will it be printed in?And I think of all those different factors, and then that helps me dial in themost appropriate amount of sharpening and noise reduction.

There are currently no FAQs about Photoshop CS5 for Photographers: Camera Raw 6.

Learn by watching, listening, and doing, Exercise files are the same files the author uses in the course, so you can download them and follow along Premium memberships include access to all exercise files in the library.

Already a member ?

Learn by watching, listening, and doing! Exercise files are the same files the author uses in the course, so you can download them and follow along. Exercise files are available with all Premium memberships.
Learn more

Upgrade to our Annual Premium Membership today and get even more value from your lynda.com subscription:

“In a way, I feel like you are rooting for me. Like you are really invested in my experience, and want me to get as much out of these courses as possible this is the best place to start on your journey to learning new material.”— Nadine H.

Thanks for signing up.

We’ll send you a confirmation email shortly.

Sign up and receive emails about lynda.com and our online training library:

new course releases

newsletter

general communications

special notices

Here’s our privacy policy with more details about how we handle your information.

Keep up with news, tips, and latest courses with emails from lynda.com.

Sign up and receive emails about lynda.com and our online training library:

new course releases

newsletter

general communications

special notices

Here’s our privacy policy with more details about how we handle your information.